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Federal holiday

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is observed on the third Monday of January, honoring the civil rights leader's birthday.

History

Signed into law in 1983 by President Ronald Reagan and first observed in 1986, MLK Day became a uniform state holiday only in 2000. The third-Monday rule means the date moves between January 15 and January 21. Many universities and K-12 districts hold a 'Day of Service' instead of normal classes; most published academic calendars list the day as a no-class observance.

On academic calendars

MLK Day is one of the four most consistent spring-semester holidays on K-12 and higher-ed calendars. Some schools schedule professional development on the day instead of closing, but the federal designation is unaffected.

Dates by year

Below is the full schedule for Martin Luther King Jr. Day from 2020 through 2035. The "observed" date matches the actual date in most years; it differs only when the statutory date lands on a Saturday or Sunday, in which case federal offices observe the holiday on the adjacent weekday per OPM rules.

YearDateDayObserved
2020 January 20, 2020 Monday —
2021 January 18, 2021 Monday —
2022 January 17, 2022 Monday —
2023 January 16, 2023 Monday —
2024 January 15, 2024 Monday —
2025 January 20, 2025 Monday —
2026 January 19, 2026 Monday —
2027 January 18, 2027 Monday —
2028 January 17, 2028 Monday —
2029 January 15, 2029 Monday —
2030 January 21, 2030 Monday —
2031 January 20, 2031 Monday —
2032 January 19, 2032 Monday —
2033 January 17, 2033 Monday —
2034 January 16, 2034 Monday —
2035 January 15, 2035 Monday —

Open the printable calendar

Each entry below opens the printable monthly grid where this holiday appears, with the day shaded in amber.